Author: Antonian Lara

BAKO SAHAKYAN: ATTEMPTS TO RECAPTURE THE PAST PREGNANT WITH UNPREDICTABLE CONSEQUENCES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
29.03.2010 11:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan met
Sunday with Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Robert
Bradtke of the US, Yuri Merzlyakov of the Russian Federation and
Bernard Fassier of France to discuss the current stage and prospects
of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement. The meeting was
also attended by NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan and Personal
Representative of the OSCE CiO, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Reiterating that comprehensive settlement of the conflict is
impossible without full-fledged participation of NKR, Mr. Sahakyan
said, "Azerbaijan’s destructive approach and its reluctance to take
confidence-building measures appear as pivotal hindrances to the
conflict settlement."

He also said that independence and security of Artsakh can’t be
questioned and any attempt to recapture the past is pregnant with
unpredictable consequences.

Touching upon normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, the
President emphasized that this process is not linked to Karabakh
conflict resolution.

TWO ARMENIANS KILLED IN THE MOSCOW SUBWAY BLAST

armradio.am
29.03.2010 12:40

Two citizens of the Republic of Armenia – Hasmik Melkumyan (born 1973)
and Levon Khachatryan (born 1982) were among the victims of blast in
Moscow subway, acting spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tigran Balayan informed.

Another man of Armenian origin – Hamik Martirosyan (1992) was taken
to #36 Moscow hospital.

At least 40 were killed and 37 were wounded on Monday when suicide
bombers detonated explosives on two packed Moscow metro trains during
the morning rush hour, the worst attack in the Russian capital for
six years.

According to Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, the Russian Federal Security
Service blames the blasts on the Moscow metro on women suicide
bombers. Reports say the explosions were planned to hit as many
victims as possible.

Two citizens of the Republic of Armenia – Hasmik Melkumyan (born 1973)
and Levon Khachatryan (born 1982) were among the victims of blast in
Moscow subway, acting spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tigran Balayan informed.

Another man of Armenian origin – Hamik Martirosyan (1992) was taken
to #36 Moscow hospital.

Both attacks – on the central Lybyanka and Park Kultury stations –
occurred as the trains approached the platform.

Moscow’s prosecutors office says it is investigating the blasts as
terrorism. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Yeni Musavat, Azerbaijan
March 19 2010

Azeri soldiers said to be forced to work in Iran

An Azeri independent military expert has alleged that Azerbaijani
soldiers are taken to Iran and forced to work in Iran, the opposition
daily Yeni Musavat has reported.

Retired Col Uzeyir Cafarov, the chairman of the public union of
military journalists, told a news conference in Baku on 18 March that
young soldiers are taken from the Azerbaijani exclave of Naxcivan to
Iran and forced to work "as slaves".

"We are very concerned over the reports about events in military units
in Naxcivan. It’s unacceptable that our soldiers are degraded in
Iran."

Cafarov believes that a state official stands behind such actions: "We
invited representatives from law enforcement bodies and the Defense
Ministry to the press conference but no one came which raised our
doubts. Some official stands behind this shameful action."

Another military expert, retired Col Ildirim Mammadov, said the
authorities should react to the reports because "this discredits the
army".

Naxcivan is an Azerbaijani exclave that borders Iran, Turkey and Armenia.

[translated from Azeri]

Andrzej Kasprzyk: Karabakh conflict cannot be considered "frozen"

27.03.2010 18:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot be considered
"frozen". In fact, only the solution is frozen, Personal
Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk said.

`Since last year we have seen the most intensive phase of the
negotiation process to date: the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
met six times in 2009, three times in expanded format with President
Medvedev, and once so far in 2010, again in the presence of President
Medvedev. The personal involvement of President Medvedev resulted in
the first-ever
statement on Nagorno-Karabakh signed by the Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan – the so-called Moscow Declaration of November 2008. If
this conflict were in fact to become "hot" and hostilities to resume,
obviously the international community would be involved even to a
greater extent.’

`I am responsible for keeping the Chairperson-in- Office informed and
up-to-date on the situation on the ground and the current state of the
talks. Acting on his behalf, I work in support of the peace process,
maintaining contact with the parties, promoting confidence- and
security-building measures. I also participate in the Minsk Group
Co-Chairs’ visits and their meetings with the leaderships. One of the
most important parts of the process is maintaining dialogue.
Facilitating that dialogue is one of my main functions. My knowledge
of the situation on the ground is also used occasionally by the
mediators. Since I am on the ground, I occasionally convey information
on behalf of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to the leaderships and vice
versa. The monitoring conducted by my Office has on occasion decreased
growing tension that could, in turn, have obstructed the
negotiations.’

`Confidentiality is crucial to any process. A certain element of trust
has to be fostered so as to maintain a dialogue between leaders of
countries that technically remain in a state of war with each other.
Before an agreement is reached, it would be difficult to put it up for
public discussion, as this could torpedo the process. For that reason,
the leaders have
requested that the process be completely confidential,’ Andrzej
Kasprzyk concluded.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict broke out back in 1991, when, subsequent
to the demand for self-determination of the Nagorno-Karabakh people,
Azerbaijani authorities attempted to resolve the issue through ethnic
cleansings, carried out by Soviet security forces (KGB special units)
under the pretext of the implementation of the passport regime and by
launching of large-scale military operations, which left thousands
dead and caused considerable material damage. A cease-fire agreement
was established in 1994. Negotiations on the settlement of the
conflict are being conducted under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chairmen (Russia, USA, France) and on the basis of their
Madrid proposals, presented in November, 2007.

Azerbaijan has not yet implemented the 4 resolutions of the UN
Security Council adopted in 1993, by continuing to provoke arms race
in the region and openly violating on of the basic principles of the
international law non-use of force or threat of force.

The OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 to encourage a peaceful,
negotiated resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The Minsk
Group is headed by a Co-Chairmanship consisting of France, Russia and
the United States. The main objectives of the Minsk Process are as
follows: Providing an appropriate framework for conflict resolution in
the way of assuring the negotiation process supported by the Minsk
Group; Obtaining conclusion by the Parties of an agreement on the
cessation of the armed conflict in order to permit the convening of
the Minsk Conference; Promoting the peace process by deploying OSCE
multinational peacekeeping forces.

Sargsyan Should Speak of `Mutual Concessions’ in Karabakh
Negotiations: Paruir Hairikian

17:02 – 26.03.10

It was the idiots who were formerly in charge in independent Armenia
who said that the security zone around Nagorno-Karabakh (NKR) is not
Armenian territory, said National Self-Determination Union (NSDU)
leader Paruir Hairikian at a press conference today, referring to
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s recent statement on possible
mutual concessions between Yerevan and Baku on settling the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

`This president came to power, having the former president’s [Robert
Kocharian’s] inheritance. It was the former lamebrains of independent
Armenia who spoke about the security zone around Nagorno-Karabakh as a
territory that’s not ours,’ said Hairikian, adding that the president
must use the term `mutual concessions’ when he goes to negotiate.

Referring to the issue that those territories are determined by the
NKR Constitution, Hairikian said: `If the president of Artsakh [NKR]
speaks [about it], he must be guided by his Constitution. Armenia’s
president is Armenia’s president,’ said Hairikian.

According to him, it runs against NKR’s right to self-determination
when Armenia’s authorities make statements on NKR’s behalf.

`In the best case scenario, they should’ve said that upon Artsakh
authorities’ request, since they don’t have equal rights in
international relations; we [Armenia’s authorities] act and pass on
their views. It would also benefit Armenia,’ explained Hairikian.

Tert.am

news.am, Armenia
March 26 2010

Martin Bartak visited Genocide Memorial

19:51 / 03/26/2010 March 26, Czech Defense Minister and caretaker in
the government of Czech PM Martin Bartak visited Tsitsernakaberd
Memorial Complex to pay tribute to Genocide victims and laid a wreath
on the eternal light.

He also visited Armenian Genocide Institute-Museum and planted a tree
at the Memory Alley.

Earlier, Martin Bartak met with RA President Serzh Sarsgyan and RA
Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan. Defense ministers signed a bilateral
military cooperation agreement.

A.G.

AS OF THE MOMENT MEETING OF THE ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI FMS IN MOSCOW NOT INTENDED

5713/lang/en
2010-03-24

YEREVAN, MARCH 23, ARMENPRESS: "As of the present moment, the March 26
meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers Edward Nalbandyan
and Elmar Mammadyarov in Moscow is not intended," spokesman for the
Armenian Foreign Ministry Tigran Balayan told Armenpress. On March
26 in Moscow, the session of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers
will be summoned.

In response to the question whether an Armenian-Turkish
inter-governmental sub-committee of historians is in a stage of
formation stage, as US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has earlier
stated, T. Balayan said that the issue of the Armenian Genocide is
not a subject for discussion, and a sub-committee is intended to
set up only after the ratification of the protocols. "The issue of
the Armenian Genocide is not viewed as a subject for discussion. As
the president and foreign minister of the republic have stated many
times the fact of the genocide is not subject for discussion; Armenia
has not discussed and will never discuss the fact of the genocide,"
T. Balayan pointed out.

ARMENIAN EASTER BRINGS TRADITION TO THE FOREFRONT
By Nicole Jansezian, Travelujah

Armenian-Easter-brings-tradition-to-the-forefront
18 March, 2010

In the West, Easter is usually a simple one-day affair. The different
denominations in Israel, however, each celebrate Easter in their own
special way and, particularly in Jerusalem, where a high concentration
of Christians gathers, a variety of different ceremonies unfolds.

So how does the oldest Christian community in Jerusalem celebrate
Easter? With their own Quarter in the Old City, the Armenians boast a
history in Jerusalem dating back to the 4th century. In 301, Armenia
became the first country to adopt Christianity as the nation’s
religion. Since then, there has been a continual Armenian presence
in the Holy Land, where Mount Zion served as a base for Armenian
pilgrims to Jerusalem.

The traditions of the Armenians are as enduring as the people
themselves. From Palm Sunday until the day after Easter Sunday, the
days are filled with services, many unique to the Armenian church
in Jerusalem.

"The holy places require a different approach and schedule for the
celebrations," Archbishop Aris Shirvanian told Travelujah. "When you
are abroad, you have one church, no other community. It is pretty
simple abroad."

Not all the rituals are religious. Some are simply an extension of the
celebratory atmosphere and an effort to involve the entire community.

The two Armenian social clubs each have marching bands with bagpipes
and drums that proceed with the Patriarch and priests to the Holy
Sepulchre on Holy Saturday. Anybody in the Old City near Jaffa Gate
can view the parade, listen to festive music and watch the scouts go
by in their uniforms.

On Palm Sunday, the Armenians, Copts and Syrians join together for a
processional three times around the rotunda in the Holy Sepulchre,
each chanting or singing in their own language. An elaborate foot
washing ceremony takes place on Holy Thursday in St. James as the
Armenian Patriarch washes the feet of twelve of the priests, imitating
Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.

One of the services unique to the Armenians is the Good Friday
processional from the Holy Archangels Church, which is the site of
an olive tree believed to be the one to which Jesus was tied while
he awaited an audience with Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas the
High Priest (John 18:19-24). According to church tradition, Jesus
was brought here to Annas’ house after his arrest in Gethsemane to
await trial with the high priest. The church is also known as Deir
al Zeytune, the Convent of the Olive Tree.

The Franciscans have their own processional as well from this church
that usually occurs on a different day. However, this year the dates
for Orthodox and Catholic and Protestant Easter coincide and the
processional will be on the same day.

For Lent, Armenians fast all animal products such as meat, dairy and
eggs. The fast is traditionally broken on Easter eve, after the Holy
Fire ceremony at the Holy Sepulchre.

Another service unique to the Armenians in Jerusalem occurs on
the Monday following Easter. The priests hold a processional in the
courtyard of St. James with the parish’s relics. This morning ceremony
is held particularly for the pilgrims from Armenia to appreciate the
Armenian heritage in jerusalem.

"Pilgrims coming (to Jerusalem) strengthens their faith and is a
moral boost for us as Christians," Shirvanian said.

Shirvanian knows that from experience. He himself was raised in Haifa,
but moved to Jerusalem to attend the Armenian seminary and study to
be a priest.

"My life was completely changed living in this atmosphere among the
holy places," he said.

By Nicole Jansezian, Travelujah

Nicole Jansezian writes for Travelujah.com, the only Christian social
network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant
online community offering high quality Christian content, user and
expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested
in connecting with or traveling to the Holy Land.

CHANGER LA POLITIQUE DU GOUVERNEMENT SUR LA QUESTION ARMENIENNE
par Jean Eckian

armenews
jeudi25 mars 2010

TURQUIE

Par Cengiz Aktar – Hurriyet Daily News

Victorieux aux elections de juillet 2007, le parti au pouvoir Justice
et Developpement, ou AKP, avait trouve sur son bureau en octobre,
la resolution de la Chambre sur le Genocide Armenien a la Chambre
des Representants des Etats-Unis.

A l’epoque, le premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan avait mis en
garde sur les consequences possibles du vote de la resolution. "Les
USA feront un tort considerable aux liens bilateraux avec l’un de ses
allies clef de la region. Les developpements possibles avec l’Armenie
deviendront moins envisageables."

La Commission des Affaires Etrangères de la Chambre avait vote la
resolution le 10 octobre 2007, tout a fait comme en mars 2010. A la
suite du vote, Erdogan avait dit qu’ils travaillaient activement
sur des mesures a prendre, disant : "Ce ne sont pas des paroles,
mais des actes," après qu’on l’ait questionne sur le sort de la base
aerienne d’Incirlik.

Malgre cela, le partenariat entre les deux pays ne s’est pas distendu ;
au contraire, en particulier après l’accession a la presidence d’Obama,
le partenariat Turquie-USA s’est developpe davantage. Malgre les
rumeurs qui etaient a l’epoque qu’Erdogan pourrait annuler son voyage
aux USA prevu pour novembre 2007, la visite eut lieu le 3 novembre.

S’agissant des relations avec l’Armenie, la mise au point des
Protocoles, alors justes lances a cette epoque, s’est poursuivie et
l’accord sur leurs principes a ete signe a l’automne dernier.

Les projets de resolution sur le Genocide Armenien, qui ont ete votes
depuis 1965 dans divers parlements a travers le monde, n’ont jamais
provoque autant de tension entre la Turquie et les 20 pays qui les
ont ratifies que celle apparue ces jours-ci entre la Turquie et les
USA et entre la Turquie et la Suède.

La seule tension serieuse, autant que je me souvienne, s’etait produite
lorsque la Turquie avait rappele son ambassadeur a Paris Hasan Esat
Isik, parce qu’un monument avait ete inaugure a Marseille en 1974. Dans
un passe recent, la Turquie a eu une reaction similaire envers le
Canada, mais qui n’a pas dure. Au contraire, Erdogan a visite ces 20
pays a de nombreuses reprises, a l’exception de l’Armenie et de la
Republique de Chypre. Aucune alteration des relations economiques n’en
a resulte. La France a meme ete invitee a nouveau a faire des offres
de marches militaires après avoir ete mise a l’index un certain temps.

Une diplomatie ferme mais inefficace.

Par rapport aux annees precedentes, en matière d’affaires etrangères,
il est evident que le gouvernement renforce sa posture. Nous comprenons
a present pourquoi le ministre turc des affaires etrangères Ahmet
Davutoglu est compare a l’ancien Secretaire d’Etat Henry Kissinger,
un champion de la politique etrangère musclee.

Le rappel d’ambassadeurs de Stockholm et de Washington l’un a la suite
de l’autre pour consultations ; la demande de garanties inconcevables
a l’administration des USA que la Resolution de la Chambre n’arrivera
pas jusqu’a la phase de discussion ; annuler et non pas seulement
retarder un sommet a deux prevu pour avoir lieu a Stockholm : la
recommandation aux cercles d’affaires, de prendre des distances
avec ces pays : la menace de deporter les travailleurs clandestins
d’Armenie en represailles aux resolutions sue le Genocide – imitant
en cela la decision d’Idi Amin Dada d’expulser les hommes d’affaires
musulmans d’Inde et du Pakistan en 1972.

Mais tout cela n’apparaît que comme des menaces verbales creuses qui
desservent la credibilite de la politique etrangère turque.Parce que
finalement Erdogan se rendra aux USA accompagne par l’Ambassadeur
turc, et pourra peut-etre discuter, entre autres sujets, de la
question armenienne.

Les relations avec notre plus grand allie de l’Union Europeenne,
la Suède, redeviendra elle aussi normale. Les Protocoles signes
avec l’Armenie seront geles au moins jusqu’a la fin de la periode
electorale. Mais nous pourrions esperer un engagement pour la Turquie
a faire des gestes de retour a la confiance après le voyage d’Erdogan
a Washington.

Qualifier les actes de parlements etrangers comme "non convenables",
"sans aucune valeur", "une comedie", "ridicule" et "un spectacle
organise par la diaspora" relève soit de l’insulte soit de la menace.

Le gouvernement de Turquie a pris une initiative critique a l’ete
2007 pour aller au-dela du refrain habituel vieux d’a peu près quatre
vingt dix ans utilise a propos du Genocide Armenien. Independamment
de ses objectifs, c’etait une etape courageuse et critique. Mais a
cause de rigidites au sein du gouvernement, l’initiative a ete avortee.

Maintenant, le chef et les membres du gouvernement se debattent,
passant de la manifestation de leur colère a celles de l’honneur
national et d’orgueil.Tout au contraire, ils devraient se calmer
et trouver des voies de normalisation avec l’Armenie. Entre temps,
les officiels pourraient et devraient faire un effort pour consulter
d’autres sources que la thèse negationniste sur ce qui est arrive
aux Armeniens d’Anatolie a la fin du 19eme siècle et au debut du 20eme.

Parce qu’il est impossible pour la Turquie – et pour l’AKP, sur ce
sujet – de continuer de parler de changement democratique d’un côte,
et de l’autre, approuver les actes des gouvernements ottomans du
debut du 20ème siècle.

18 mars 2010

Cengiz Aktar est professeur d’etudes europeennes a l’Universite de
Galatasaray Bahcesehir d’Istanbul et politologue.

STEPHEN COURT, THE HISTORY & THE HEIGHT

Calcutta Telegraph
p/frontpage/story_12258933.jsp
March 25 2010
India

We have passed by it a million times, dined, shopped and made merry at
its landmark fun zones, visited friends living or working there. Yet,
how much do we really know about Stephen Court?

Metro drums out a ready-reckoner the day after the devastating fire

Who is Stephen Court named after?

Arathoon Stephen, who is mentioned as the lease-holder for the property
at 18A Park Street in the city’s civic records dating back to World
War I.

Who was Arathoon Stephen?

Born in Iran in 1861, Arathoon Stephen was a member of the Armenian
community in Calcutta, which is believed to have spent a huge amount
of money in shaping the growth of the city.

Stephen was a shareholder and the first managing director of Stephen
Court Ltd. He founded the Grand hotel in Calcutta and the Everest
hotel in Darjeeling, which also saw a devastating fire.

The Everest hotel is now known as the Swiss Hotel. Stephen lived at 2
Camac Street and was known as a patron of education and art. He died
in May 1927.

Who was the owner of the land on which Stephen Court was built?

Peter Charles Earnest Paul was the owner of the land — measuring
3 bigha 17 cottah and 8 chhatak — located at the junction of Park
Street and Middleton Row.

Documents available in the central record room of the Calcutta
Municipal Corporation name PCE Paul as the "official trustee" of 18A
Park Street.

What stood on plot 18A before Stephen Court came up?

A map of the area dating back to 1910 (see right) show a small,
three-storeyed building on the plot. Later, civic records of
August-September 1917 mention a single-storeyed building comprising
one shop.

PCE Paul is named as the owner of the plot and Arathoon Stephen as
the lease-holder and occupier.

When was Stephen Court built?

Stephen Court Ltd was registered under the Companies Act, 1913, in
December, 1923. The company constructed a building comprising three
floors on the plot in 1924.

The usage was mixed (residential and commercial). There was, however,
no differentiation in civic rules regarding residential and commercial
establishments back then.

When were the upper storeys added?

In the 1930s, a fourth floor was added to Stephen Court, without
the necessary civic sanctions. Around 1984, two more storeys were
added illegally.

What happened to the illegal floors?

In 1984, the CMC slapped a notice on the Stephen Court authorities
about the three illegal floors. The same year a hearing was held at
the CMC and all three floors were "regularised" after the building
authorities paid the necessary penalty.

What about fire clearance?

In 1984, according to the civic rules, any building higher than
18 metres required a clearance from the fire department. After the
addition of the three floors, Stephen Court had crossed the 18m mark.

However, owing to a loophole in the law, it didn’t have to obtain
the fire department’s clearance as buildings that were regularised
could skip this requirement.

How many floors is the building now?

According to civic records, Stephen Court has seven floors. That
is because a mezzanine floor was added between the ground and first
floors. The date of this addition is, however, not known.